Fountain toothbrush



May l5, i934., H. R. DE LUCA FOUNTAIN TOOTHBRUSH Filed Dec.V 18 1951 Patented *May 15, 1934 UNITED STATES YPATENT OFFICE FOUNTAIN TQOTHBRUSH Horatio R. De Luca, Bridgeport, Conn. Application December 18, 1931, Serial No. 581,784 y Claims. (Cl. 15-135) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in fountain toothbrushes and has particular relation to that type of fountain tooth brush adapted to be carried on the person.

5 An object of the invention is to. provide a fountain toothbrush of the character stated and which when closed, as for carrying in a pocket, resembles a fountain pen and includes a pocket clip for securing it in a pocket and against loss.

It may thus be easily carried for use at any time.

Another object is to provide a toothbrush as described and which includes a removable cap normally disposed to cover the fountain head of the brush and a hollow body adapted to receive a tube of tooth paste with the neck of the tube threaded into the hollow brush head, means being provided for manual operation to crush or collapse the tube in a manner to feed the paste to the brush as required, and said hollow body functioning as a handle while the brush is in use.

A further object is to provide a toothbrush having the characteristics stated and which is adapted to receive a complete or full tube of tooth paste as purchased from a store, the tube being in the nature of a refill, and the paste being fed directly from the tube into the head of the brush.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein a satisfactory embodiment of the invention is shown. However, since the drawing and description are for the purpose of disclosure only, it will be understood'that the invention is not limited to the details shown and described. but includes all such variations and modifications as fall within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims to which claims reference should be had for a definition of the invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. lis a side elevational view of a complete fountain toothbrush in accordance with the present invention, the brush being shown closed;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the brush of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on an enlarged scale, taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; V

Fig. 4 is a detailed sectional view on an enlarged scale, the view being taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along the line 5--5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a plan View of a blank adapted to be applied to the end of a tube of toothpaste and be used as a key for winding up the tube to expel the paste therefrom; and

vliig. 7 is a View suggesting the manner of applying the winding element or key of Fig. 6.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the improved brush as herein disclosed includes a substantially cylindrical body member 10 closed at one end as by a removable cap 11 and having its other end portion drawn inwardly as at 12 and then shaped to provide a reduced neck portion 13 65.

internally screw threaded as shown. Toward its inner end the body member l0 is externally screw threaded as at 14 whereby the closed end cap member 15 may be threaded into place on the body member.

At 16 is generally indicated a brush head including a stem 17 and a back 18 carrying bristles 19. The stem and back of the brush head are formed with a passage 20 through them, the said passage opening to the bristles 19 at one or more 75 'points as at 21. The free end portion of the stem 17 of the brush head is externally screw threaded as at 22 whereby the brush head may be threaded into vthe neck portion 13 of the body member 10 and thereby adapt the body member to function as a handle when the brush is in use.

This free end of the stem of the lbrush head is also internally screw threaded as at 24 for threaded engagement with the neck 25 of a collapsible tooth paste tube 26 arranged in the body 10. 85 Tube 26 is inserted into the body through that end of theAbody normally closed by the removable cap 11 and after the brush head has been disconnected or partially disconnected from the body. With the tube disposed within the body in position 9o to have its neck portion 25 entering the neck portion 13 of the body the brush head is threaded into place in the neck of the body. By this same action the internal threads 24 on the stem of the brush head engage the threads on the neck 25 of the tube with the result that all of the parts are soconnected that the body forms a handle for the brush head and paste expelled from the tube will enter directly into the brush head.

Means are provided whereby the tube will be held against turning movement in the body while the brush head is being threaded into place and this means alsol is adapted for operation to co1- lapse or crush the tube 26 in a manner to expel the paste therefrom and into the brush head.

The winding device or key 27l is preferably permanently attached to the tube 26 as at the fac-l tory whereby the tube when purchased will be equipped with this device. or winding device 27 its stem portion is disposed against the .end portions 30 of the tube and these end portions are then carried about the stem as at 31 after which a cap 32 is applied.. 'Ihe stem portion 28 may, if desired, be provided with spaced openings 'and the cap 32 may in one of its side wall portions, as for example that designated 33, be provided with perforations while in its wall portion 34 it may carry slight lugs or projections. With such an arrangement the cap would be pressed in place and the material of the end portions of the tube would be pressed into the spaced openings in the key whereby the key will be securely and permanently attached to the tube.

At its end opposite that at which it carries the small disc 29 the stem 28 of the winding device is provided with a nger piece or button 35 which may be roughened or knurled on its periphery as shown. To accommodate this small disc like portion 29 of the winding device the body 10 is pressed to form, or bent to form, an outwardly off-set portion 36 having a T-shaped slot 37 therein, the portion and slot extending longitudinally of the body. Diametrically opposite this portion 36 the body is longitudinally slotted as at 38 and from Figs. 2 and 3 it will be'apparent that while the disc 29 is received in the slot 37 the opposite portion of the stem 28 extends through the slot 38 in the body whereby the finger piece35 is disposed at the outer side of the body in position for easy manipulation.

The guideway 37 and the slot 38 extend through the upper or outer end of the body and when a.

new tube 26 is to be introduced into the body the cap 11 is removed and the tube slipped into the open end of the body with the disc 29 disposed inthe guideway 37 and the stem 28 arranged in the slot 38. It will therefore be seen that a new tube is easily introduced into the body and that the tube will be held against turning movement on its longitudinal axis during the time the brush l head 16 is being threaded to the tube and body.

It will be noted that as clearly s hown in Fig. 2 the tube 26 tapers toward its neck portion 25, this particular structure being provided in order to prevent the tube from binding in the body as the tube is wound about the key or winding device 27. The operation of expelling the paste from the tube and into the brush head involves the turning of.

the 'ringer piece 35 so as to rotate the stem 28 and wind up the tube. The winding device is guided downwardly and held against lateral movement since its portions are disposed in the guideway 37 and slot 38 and the diameter of the portion about the winding device will increase but will not reach the point where it binds in the body owing to the fact that the tube is tapered.

When a tube of paste has been used up it is but necessary to unscrew the brush head outwardly in a manner to disengage the threads on the stem of the brush from those on the neck of the tube after which'lclosure or .cap 11 may be removed and the exhausted tube slipped out of the body. A new tube may be introduced as above described and as above suggested it is preferred that the tubes be sold in the nature of rells4 in In applying the key and easily removed from the body. Preferably, the cap is provided with Ventilating slots or openings 39 so the bristles can dry out, these openings being provided toward the outer or closed end portion of the cap and adjacent that portion of the cap disposed about the bristles 19 of the brush. T'o prevent clogging of the paste in Athe opening 40 in the neck 25 of the tube this opening 40 is preferably made straight as shown. `Were the opening tapered there might be a tendency for the pasteto clog in the opening and become hardened therein. If desired a pocket clip 41 of any desired construction may be attached to the body.

In the use of the device the tube 26 is fully enclosed by the body 10 and since the body is rigid. being formed of metal or a relatively hard moulded compound the tube will not be unintentionally squeezed in a manner to expel the paste therefrom. It will be understood that the device may be made up of any desired material as metal, a moulded phenolic condensation productor the like, and so proportioned and colored as to have a pleasing appearance and to closely resemble the ordinary style of fountain pen.

Figs. 6 and 7 show a slightly modified construction of winding device which. may if desired be applied bythe user to a tube of paste. This device generally indicated at 42 includes a blank or plate like body portion 43 stamped from sheet metal and which at one end carries a pair of iingers or extensions 44 enlarged on their outer ends as at 45. Extending from the other end of the body portion 43 is a pair` of fingers or extensions 46 carrying a strip 47. Preferably these parts are all integral being'blanked from a single sheet of metal.

The winding device 42 is applied to the end of a tube of paste as suggested in Fig. 7 and to this end the device is bent to substantially V-shaped and disposed on the tube with its folded end seated in the V. The key is then bent or clamped to line. When the device is applied to a tube of paste as above suggested and tightly pressed into place portions of the material of the tube will be pressed into the perforations 48 by the lugs or projections 49 and the device securely applied.

In this modified arrangement the strip or sealing cap 29 will provide the hand piece or operating portion corresponding .with the wheel 35 of the previously described embodiment and the lugs or enlargements 45 will operate in the guideway 37 as in the case of the disc 49 of the form shown in Figs. 1 to 4. A tube equipped with the winding device 42 of Figs. 6 and 7 is adapted to be used in connection with the body 10 and brush head 16 as in the case of the winding device or key first described and further description is therefore believed unnecessary.

The cap 11 preferably has a similarly shaped rib 50 onone side to receive and cover the end of the guide 36, and the cap and body may have complementary lugs and recesses 51 to engage tosaid member having a reduced internally threaded open ended neck at one end, a hollow brush head threaded into said neck whereby the body member forms a handle, a tube of toothpaste in the body and having its neck-threaded into said hollow brush head, a key secured to the end of the toothpaste tube and adapted to be rotated to wind the tube about the key for collapsing the tube to feed the toothpaste into the brush head, and said toothpaste tube tapered toward its neck whereby it` will not bind in the member as it is wound about the key.

2. A toothbrush comprising a body member open at one end, a hollow brush head at said end ofthe body whereby the body forms a handle, a tube of toothpaste in the body and arranged to discharge into the brush head, said body having a longitudinally vextending slot in one wall, said body having a T-shaped guideway in its opposite wall, a key secured to the end of the toothpaste tube and having a headed portion in said guideway and a portion extending through said slot, and said key adapted to be rotated in a manner to wind the tube about the key and feed the toothpaste into the brush head.

3. A toothbrush comprising a body member" open at its opposite ends, a hollow brush head at one end of the body'whereby the body forms a handle, a tube of toothpaste in the body and arranged to discharge into the brush head, said body having a longitudinally extending slot in one wall, said bodyhaving a guideway in its opposite wall, a key secured to the end of the toothpaste tube and having a portion in said guideway and a portion extending through said slot, said slot and guideway opening through the end of the tube opposite that at which the brush head is disposed whereby a tube equipped with the key may be inserted into the body, and said keyr adapted to be a handle, a tube of toothpaste in the body and arranged to discharge into the brush head, said body having a longitudinally extending slot in one wall, said body having a guideway in its opposite wall, a key secured to the end of the end of the tube opposite that at which the brush,

head is disposed whereby a tube equipped with the ly may be inserted into the body, said key adapted to be rotated in a manner to wind the tube about the key and feed the toothpaste into the brush head, said key comprising al strap about which the end of the tube is folded, a disc on one end portion of the strap and comprising the portion of the key disposed in the guideway, and a finger piece on the other end portion of the strap.

5. A toothbrush comprising a body member open at its opposite ends, a hollow brush head at one end of the body whereby the body forms a handle, a tube of toothpaste in the body and arranged to discharge into the brush head, said body having a longitudinally extending slot in one wall, said body having a guideway in its opposite wall, a key secured to the end of the toothpaste tube and having a portion in said guide- Way and a portion extending through said slot, said slot and guideway opening through the end of the tube opposite that at which the brush head is disposed whereby a tube equipped with the key may be inserted into the body, said key adapted to be rotated in a manner to wind the tube about the key and feed the toothpaste into the brushl head, said key formed from a single blank including a body portion adapted to be folded about the end of the tube, an extension on one end of said body portion of the key disposed in the guideway, and an extension on the other end of said body portion of the key and comprising the portion of the key extending through the slot.

HORATIO R. DE LUCA. 

